Training Industry Magazine - July/August 2021 - 27

in which we live and work together. "
It is not only about having better
conversations, although there is a
portion of conversational leadership
that concerns itself with expanding the
range and depth of conversations. It is
also about gauging where we are with
our conversational skills at this point in
time, what brought us to the present
moment individually and collectively,
and what highly skilled interactions will
look like in the future.
LEADERSHIP IS A
PRACTICE;
IT IS BEYOND A ROLE
OR TITLE.
Conversational leadership intends
to increase our awareness during
conversations. For example, we often
engage in " parallel monologues, "
opposed to two-way conversations.
Katherine Woods, leadership thought
leader and author, often asks, " Are we
in a meeting, or are we being met? "
Conversations provide opportunities to
gain deeper understanding, to converge
and diverge, to uproot deep-seated
biases, to make improved collective
decisions. Conversations were here long
before and will long outlast technology.
Funny enough, it is the skill and depth of
our conversations that will enable us to
advance and progress more equitably
and sustainably in the future.
There are many perspectives and
scholars emerging in the conversational
leadership space - with Dr. Juanita
Brown and David Isaacs adopting a
world café approach; Nancy Dixon
representing the conversational architect
perspective; and Donita Volkwijn
championing the diversity, equity and
inclusion perspective. There are many
other perspectives of conversational
leadership that are also arising, such as
conversational analysis - an approach to
quantifying and identifying mathematical
" movements " and patterns in
conversation. Conversational leadership
is a growing and thriving discipline.
The outer circle of the conversational
leadership framework (Figure 1
on page 26) depicts four areas
and inquiry-based approaches to
conversational leadership. Each
of the four areas intends to shine
a light on the conversations being
held in the moment, as well as offers
questions to inspire deeper dialogue.
Conversational leadership is not so
much about leading conversations
as it is about listening, guiding and
contributing to conversations as they
emerge. In conversational leadership,
there are many levels of observation
and interaction, requiring us to assess
and understand our intent and impact
in conversations.
In the center of the conversational
leadership framework, notice " self " and
" communityship. " The concept of self,
also known as " self as an instrument, "
stems most notably from Gestalt
psychotherapy. Dr. Mee Yan Cheung
Judge and Dr. David Jamieson - active
researchers and practitioners in the
" use of self " - define use of self as " the
conscious use of one's whole being in
the intentional execution of one's roles
for effectiveness in whatever the current
situation is presenting. The purpose is
to be able to execute a role effectively,
for others and the system they're in, with
full awareness of personal interference
(e.g., bias, blindness, avoidance, and
agendas) to have clear intentions and
choice. " In conversational leadership,
we often refer to intent and impact.
A focus on the self in conversational
leadership asks us to be curious about
and aware of our intent and impact in
our conversations.
Communityship is a relatively new
word invented by Henry Mintzberg.
Oversimplified, communityship is
defined as " shared leadership, " but
Mr. Mintzberg offers that it is more
than shared leadership. Instead, it
is, " Something you recognize when
you see it and feel it. " Michael Jones
- leadership educator and author -
comments that communityship could be
defined as seeing the gift in the other,
creating a sense of place, embracing
the spirit of festival, crafting a language
of life and welcoming the stranger.
Conversational leadership offers that
communityship enables us to rethink our
notions of leadership from an individual
position to a collective responsibility.
These six areas of context, purpose,
design, enablement, self and
communityship combine to be
greater than the sum of their parts.
Conversations are complex, and
complexity can't be mapped very
well. Kurt Lewin receives credit for
saying, " All models are wrong, but
some are useful. " The intent of this
conversational leadership framework
is to motivate and shift us to challenge
our assumptions about conversation
and what enables healthy, successful
and equitable conversations.
WELCOME TO
CONVERSATIONAL
LEADERSHIP
Approaches to leadership are evolving
and expanding. Numerous examples
of leadership models and frameworks
exist - such as servant leadership,
authoritarian leadership, transactional
leadership, strategic leadership, change
leadership, agile leadership, authentic
leadership and so many more. Similar to
leadership, approaches to conversation
are evolving and expanding as well.
Numerous examples of conversational
models and frameworks exist, such
as crucial conversations, non-violent
communications, healing conversations,
difficult conversations, conversational
intelligence, conversational analysis
and so many more.
Conversational leadership is a growing
community of practitioners looking
to expand their conversational and
leadership capabilities - leveraging
all of these models and frameworks,
creating and experimenting with new
models and frameworks, and applying
those practices to their teams' and
organizations' needs. This shared
practice has hopes of enabling a more
equitable future for individuals and
collective communities.
John Hovell is the creator of Conversation
Groups, also known as C-groups. C-groups
are one fundamental way to learn and
practice conversational leadership.
John also works at the convergence of
knowledge management, organizational
development, and diversity, equity and
inclusion. Email John.
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Training Industry Magazine - July/August 2021

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